Odita Sunday 
NDLEA Seizes Over 320,000 Tramadol Capsules, Arrests 75-Year-Old Suspect, Four Female Drug Dealers
By Odita Sunday
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified their nationwide offensive against drug trafficking networks, intercepting over 320,000 capsules of tramadol and other illicit substances in Taraba State while arresting a 75-year-old suspected drug dealer in Ebonyi and four notorious female traffickers in coordinated operations across the country.
The latest operations, which also led to major seizures in Edo, Imo, Kano and Gombe states, underscore the agency’s sustained crackdown on drug cartels and illicit drug distribution networks.
According to Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA operatives in Taraba State dealt a major blow to opioid trafficking syndicates following the interception of a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo.
Babafemi said the operation, carried out on June 6 based on credible intelligence, led to the discovery of a large cache of drugs concealed beneath building materials at Nukkai Timber Shade in Jalingo.
He disclosed that a 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
According to him, recovered exhibits included 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 rohypnol tablets and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
In Ebonyi State, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested a 75-year-old suspect, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi after he was found in possession of 300 grams of skunk allegedly packaged for retail distribution.
The NDLEA spokesman noted that the arrest demonstrated that age would not shield anyone involved in illicit drug activities from prosecution.
In Imo State, he said officers raided a notorious drug enclave at Umulolo in Orlu, leading to the arrest of 32-year-old Chioma Okeke and the recovery of eight kilograms of skunk.
Babafemi further disclosed that a coordinated sweep of identified drug hotspots in Benin City, Edo State, resulted in the arrest of four suspected traffickers, including three women.
According to him, two female suspects, Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, were arrested at Uyosa with various illicit substances, including skunk, Loud and methamphetamine.
He added that another female suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was apprehended along Agbor Road with quantities of Scottish Loud and regular Loud.
A male suspect, Henry Okey, 43, was also arrested at Upper Mission with assorted psychotropic substances, including Loud, Colorado, Swinol and methamphetamine.
In Kano State, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested 19-year-old Saifullahi Lawan at Kafi area of Madobi on June 4 with 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilograms.
Similarly, in Gombe State, operatives intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area and recovered 15,000 capsules of tramadol from him.
Beyond enforcement activities, Babafemi said the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across the country.
He explained that anti-drug awareness lectures were delivered to students and staff of several schools, including Holiness Foundation Primary School in Saki, Oyo State; Dorras High School, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State; Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Army Day Secondary School, Kano State.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised personnel of the Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe Commands for their vigilance and professionalism.
According to Babafemi, Marwa also commended officers in commands across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
”The agency remains fully committed to dismantling drug supply chains and will continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA chairman reiterated the agency’s determination to sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks and protecting communities from the devastating effects of illicit drug abuse and distribution.
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